Manchester United are already dominating the headlines ahead of what is set to be a busy summer transfer window.
Romelu Lukaku’s future is in doubt and the striker has been linked with a move to Serie A, while the club’s pursuit of Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt is set to run and run.
Meanwhile Liverpool are looking to tie Jurgen Klopp down to a long-term contract on improved terms after he delivered the Champions League, while Tottenham are set to back Mauricio Pochettino in order to persuade him to stay in north London and achieve his lofty ambitions for the club. Follow the day’s latest news and done deals live:
Welcome along to another busy day of transfer news, rumours and done deals. First up is Romelu Lukaku – The Sun reports that Inter are struggling to meet FFP regulations and any deal for Manchester United’s Belgian striker is contingent on selling first.
Inter’s captain Mauro Icardi remains at loggerheads with the club hierarchy and his departure could begin a domino effect of top strikers around Europe. New Inter manager Antonio Conte is thought to want an overhaul of the squad.
Klopp set for bumper reward
Jurgen Klopp is set for a new deal at Liverpool after clinching the Champions League.
Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, is keen to tie down the German to an extended long-term deal after his success transforming the club into a force at home and abroad, and Klopp is expected to sign up to the improved terms.
Signing for West Ham a dream come true
West Ham have signed goalkeeper David Martin on a free transfer from London rivals Millwall.
The 33-year-old, the son of former Hammers and England defender Alvin Martin, has agreed a two-year contract.
“Signing for West Ham United is a dream, both for me and my family,” Martin told the club website.
“I’ve grown up around West Ham and to come to my boyhood club is a dream.”
Martin is likely to be West Ham’s third-choice keeper behind fellow summer signing Roberto and player of the year Lukasz Fabianski.
Shaqiri still has point to prove
To Liverpool now, and Xherdan Shaqiri is determined to stay and fight for his place in the side, according to the Express.
The Switzerland winger has played only limited minutes so far this season, despite making several significant impacts when he has had the opportunity.
“Is this why I came to Liverpool? Yes,” he said after the Champions League final. “This club needs to win titles, and it’s a good start to win this one, no? Now next year we are going to go again and try to win the Premier League.
“That’s my big dream, to win the Premier League with this club. It just feels amazing. It’s been a long time since Liverpool won this title, 2005.”
Maguire staying put?
Manchester City and rivals United have reportedly been priced out of signing Leicester City’s Harry Maguire.
According to the Metro, the Foxes have set too high a price for the defender, with both clubs now reconsidering their options for the summer transfer window.
It’s been reported that an excess of £90m would be needed to land Maguire, which would be a world-record fee for a defender.
However, contrasting reports have suggested that Leicester are unwilling to name a price for the players the intend to keep hold of, including the England international.
United were eyeing Maguire as an alternative to Matthijs de Ligt, who now looks set to join Barcelona, while Manchester City are looking to replace veteran Vincent Kompany.
Under can bring Everton up
Marco Silva is after reinforcements in attack to take Everton forwards this summer, and he is eyeing Roma’s highly rated Cengiz Under.
And TuttoMercatoWeb reports that an initial offer of £24m has been rejected by the Italian club as they seek to hold out for more for the 21-year-old.
Meanwhile, David Moyes has urged the club and their fans to remain patient. “Changing a football club is not something you can do quickly. I wanted to maintain Everton’s values, but also bring in a more modern culture, and that takes a long time,” he said.
LVG still annoyed by lack of transfer backing
Louis Van Gaal has claimed Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward knows “zero” about football.
Former United manager Van Gaal, 67, has blamed Woodward for the bulk of the club’s problems since the Dutchman was sacked in 2016 after two years in charge.
Van Gaal, who has also had spells in charge of Ajax, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Holland, told German magazine 11 Freunde: “At Bayern, the people in charge are football men. I always appreciated that.
“At Manchester United, on the other hand, Ed Woodward was installed as CEO – somebody with zero understanding of football who was previously an investment banker.
“It cannot be a good thing when a club is run solely from a commercially-driven perspective.
“I don’t hold it against the club. They wanted Mourinho and he was on the market.”
Van Gaal was heavily criticised during his two seasons at Old Trafford, when he guided United to fourth and fifth-placed finishes and won the FA Cup.
He was sacked two days after United beat Crystal Palace to lift the cup at Wembley in 2016 and replaced by Jose Mourinho.
“Appointing Mourinho was obviously interesting from a business point of view,” Van Gaal added.
“He wins games. And for a club like United, the main thing is to win trophies.
“How they are won isn’t the main priority, the English fans see it differently. They accept that the game is not all about attacking but it is also about defending.
“I always tried to defend high up the pitch, to be in the opposition’s half and play the game there.”
And here’s the latest on Eden Hazard‘s situation – can a deal be struck?
Manchester United, Barcelona or Juventus?
Ajax teenage sensation Matthijs de Ligt looks certain to leave the Dutch champions this season – here is the latest news on his future.
Kieran Trippier has lifted the lid on his next move:
Stephan Lichtsteiner has confirmed that he will leave Arsenal when his current contract expires at the end of June, after the club decided against taking up the option of a one-year renewal.
Lichtsteiner, 35, joined Arsenal on a free transfer last summer after leaving Juventus and it was hoped the veteran full-back would provide competition for first-choice Héctor Bellerín.
However he failed to prove to Unai Emery that he was an adequate replacement for the Spaniard, making just 14 Premier League appearances and falling behind youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the pecking order.
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Boruc extends Cherries stay
Veteran goalkeeper Artur Boruc has signed a new one-year contract with Bournemouth.
The 39-year-old former Poland international made 12 Premier League appearances for Eddie Howe’s side last season, keeping four clean sheets.
Ex-Celtic and Fiorentina keeper Boruc joined the Cherries, initially on loan, from south-coast rivals Southampton in 2014.
He has made 129 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Bournemouth also announced that out-of-contract winger Marc Pugh will leave the Vitality Stadium.
Winger Pugh, who finished last season on loan at Sky Bet Championship side Hull, scored 56 times in 312 appearances during a nine-year stint in Dorset.
According to Marca, Julen Lopetegui is on the verge of taking over at Sevilla. The 52-year-old has been out of work since he was sacked by Real Madrid last October, following a disastrous summer in which he was dismissed from the role as Spain national coach just hours before the World Cup began.
Manchester United have moved into pole position to sign Leicester City‘s James Maddison this summer.
United have made the 22-year-old their new priority, and he is likely to cost close to £60million if he leaves the King Power this summer. No official bid has been made yet, and this is still the early stage of inquiries and discussions about the transfer.
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Chelsea face an uncertain summer due to their current transfer ban, but one thing they know is that Eden Hazard will be heading for the exit after expressing his desire to join Real Madrid. Arsenal are due to push on with their first signing of the summer, with a bid for Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser set to be lodged in the coming weeks.
A new centre-back is high on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s priority list at United, with Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Leicester’s Harry Maguire both options. Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka is another on the Norwegian’s radar. It won’t just be incomings at Old Trafford, however, with Paul Pogba a high-profile target for Real Madrid and Alexis Sanchez on his way out with Inter Milan and Juventus fighting it out for his signature – if he drops his wage demands.
